Belinda
by shestewa
Summary: Belinda is a young Blood Elf from the depths of Eversong Woods who - in accordance with the wishes of her domineering aunt - is trying to follow in her family footsteps and become a mage. What adventures will she get up to along the way? Explore with her as she finds her way about Azeroth.


_Author's Note: Hello everyone! This is my first serious fanfic, so please read and comment! I'm trying to make it as canon as possible (with creative license in the later chapters here and there) so please if you have any qualms with Lore, let me know!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Blizzard. I do not own the World of Warcraft franchise. I do not own the Sin'Dorei. I do not own Eversong Woods or Silvermoon City or Azeroth. But if I did, I would be a very, very rich man._

The air was still laced with the chill of the night as Belinda rose gingerly from her warm, comfortable bed. Running slender fingers through her tangled locks, she automatically shuffled over to her window and reluctantly opened the curtains to the darkness outside. Opening her eyes - fighting against instinctive desires to simply go back to sleep - she looked out into the moonlit woods; there was not a hint of sunrise in the sky. The eerie, pearlescent glow that illuminated her bedroom was suddenly replaced with a soft candlelight as with a click of her fingers, several small flames magically ignited themselves along the walls. With the nip in the air causing her to shiver, she hastily changed into the clothes she had laid out the night before. As she drew on the thick, woollen garments, relishing in their relative protection from the unbearable cold, she made a mental note that the dirt-elves must be damaged to prefer this kind of life to the beauty of the daytime sun. After spending far too much time deliberating over her hairstyle for the day – a high bun of _travelling chique_, which she would duly undo for _lavicious curls_ at her destination - she appraised her own appearance once more in the mirror - _beautiful_. As quietly as possible, she crept nimbly down the stairs into the kitchen, which she found to be surprisingly occupied, and filled with the smells of cooking.

Her aunt, Selena Dawnrunner was busily attending to the stove as she walked in, but didn't miss a beat. "Aren't you running a little late, Belle?" she questioned in a dangerous tone. Belinda knew that when it came to her aunt, this was not a light-hearted enquiry, but a statement.

"I shall make up for it by travelling swiftly, Aunt Selly" she assured in the most confident voice she could.

Turning from the stove with two plates in her hands, Selena placed them down on the table with slightly more force than necessary. Looking up, she caught her niece's eyes in a sharp stare. "You had better, young Lady. I've had to pull a lot of strings to get you this opportunity and you will _not_ embarrass me. You also will not make me regret it because of your carelessness-"

"Aunt Selly, I-" she whined.

"Am I making myself clear?" Those of the last words cut through her like a knife.

"Crystal, Aunt Selly."

Holding the look just long enough to ensure her niece knew she stood by her word, she finally softened up. "Well, eat then - you have a long journey, and running late or not I will not be creating you a portal."

As they eagerly consumed their meal in silence, she thought about the long road ahead of her to Sunstrider Isle in the North; at a day's journey walking or eight hours at an elven run, it was quite the distance. She'd awoken at such a _light-forsaken hour_ so that she could attend her entrance exam for the Sunstrider Academy – the most prestigious institution in the whole of Quel'Thalas (or Azeroth, if she listened to Aunt Selly). For years she'd been lectured daily on the importance of _"making a name for herself"_ in order to _"continue the noble honour"_ of her family. Her aunt of course also insisted on acknowledging the _"prestige of being a Magistrix"_, like herself. Admittedly, the old windbag was a little biased, being a leading practitioner at the academy, but realistically, nothing was as well respected as a good mage amongst Sin'dorei. Simply through their ability to wield magic, her race had a long reputation of power and influence throughout the continent and in truly excessive elven style – gathered substantial wealth therein.

Though Belle's parents had died whilst she was very young, Selena did not let her forget for a moment what was expected of her as a Dawnrunner – "_at the very least excellence! If you could have seen the things your mother could do with fire!" _The stories of her parents' alleged unending skill with the arcane were numerous. As primarily battle magisters, they'd retired to a quieter life of research with Selena back in Sunstrider in order to raise her within their homeland. At the academy they had been renowned for their skills wielding fire and felflame – incinerating demons had become almost second nature to them during their time scouring the planes of Outland. Their expertise, however, was sadly no use to them as a nocturnal scourge attack left them dead in their home. It was a miracle they managed to teleport their daughter Selena before they died.

Although she felt it was important to know these things about her heritage, she secretly resented the prerequisite that controlled her future. It was natural, given the circumstances, that when she became of age, she follow in her parents' footsteps and apply for the very academy. Such astounding talent to wield magic was inheritable, and before she had even cast her first spell, Belle was earmarked by her aunt. As Belinda prepared to leave, Selene placed a hand on her shoulder, a rare familial gesture. Unlike the stern, emerald orbs before, they were warm and loving. "Belle, I raised you to be extraordinary, and today you will show them. Make your parents proud." Accepting the encouragement reluctantly – in her eyes, it added more pressure than alleviated it – she nodded, and after a quick embrace, departed on her journey. Selene watched from the doorway contentedly as her niece disappeared into the morning mists of Eversong Woods.

A few hours later, the morning sun had risen above the trees of Quel'Thalas and the full glory of Eversong was to behold: ancient and powerful enchantments bathed the land in an eternal golden springtime, with plants and flowers blooming every day of the year. More than just a product of the Sin'dorei vanity, it was a mark of the sheer magical power that could be wielded by elven magi – to change an entire land itself forever. Thankful for the warmth of the sun on her face, Belle increased her pace a little to a light sprint as she dashed along the path. If the weather held, she noted to herself, it wouldn't be such a terrible journey after all.

By her reckoning, she'd made good progress and was just over an hour from the gates of Silvermoon City. Since she was a young elfling, she had always loved their racial capital: the architecture itself was beautiful enough, with tall buildings crafted in the equisite, traditional High Elven style. The thing she loved the most, however, was the activity. The business and the hustle and bustle of the streets caused her heart to race and mind to explode with information - a stark and welcome contrast to the serenity of the woods that she called home. The excitement of every street corner – a stall with exotic, bright silks or sparkling jewellery enthralled her. It was vibrant and everything she longed for.

As she ran, she reflected on her memories going on outings to the city with her aunt. On occasion, the fiercely independent Serena brought her along – tolerated her - in _assisting_ with her errands. Assistance was of course what Selena always said, but smirking, she remembered that it was close enough to slave labour. _"Belinda! I require some Sungrass for my alchemy - collect some from the apothecary at once!" "Belinda! I need more crystal vials!" "Belinda! Do go and collect more dyes!"_ Being on one of these outings was in no way a holiday, or in any way easier than her time back at the cottage – but that didn't stop her enjoying herself nonetheless. It was a shame that this once that she was on her own, she would not be actually going into the city. The streets that she remembered so fondly, in fact, represented only a fraction of the original marvel that was Silvermoon. During the Third War and the scourge invasion of the land, more than half of the city was brought to the ground and now lay in ruin, occupied by vagrants and the magic-addicted Wretched. After she reached the gates, she would head east around the periphery towards Falconwing Square, rest and eat, then make off through the ruins towards Sunstrider Academy. Thankfully, there was a well-established, paved road leading through towards the Isle, so it would be plain sailing from there. Or so she hoped, anyway.

It was the beginning of a sunny, warm afternoon when Belinda finally reached the edges of Silvermoon. Deciding to take a short rest, she leaned against the edge of the Sunstrider Bridge, breathing deeply from the rich, sea air that blew in from the water. In the distance, she could see the island that housed the academy itself. Narrowing her eyes, her keen elven vision discerned several large buildings dotting the landscape. She smiled - the domes and towers were reminiscent from what she could see of the capital city itself, and if the community were at least half as lively, she'd be more than happy to spend the next few years studying magic there. Slinging her rucksack back over her shoulders, she began to make the journey across the bridge at a much more leisurely pace, soaking in the refreshing sights, scents and sounds of the undulating waves.

It didn't take long before she reached the shores of the isle and the true majesty of the academy. Soon, the green hills gave way to a breathtakingly gorgeous sight for Sin'dorei eyes: dozens of elegant pavilions and sancta were scattered across the lilting slopes. Between them, trees in enchanted permanent blossom punctuated the array of pools, fountains and gardens that filled the between. She stopped for a moment, to appreciate that when her aunt had described it as stunning, she had not been exaggerating (unusually). Continuing along the path towards where she thought was the correct direction – _For light's sake, Belle! It's __the big magical looking tower; even you can't miss it!_ It was over the course of a few minutes that it came to her realisation it wasn't quite the paradise she originally envisioned: the wildlife was completely out of control. The fields were swarming with wild cats and their cubs, riddled with mana wyms and there were – in her opinion – more treants than trees. With a sinking feeling of unease, she picked up the pace and trotted up to the majestic doorway where with any luck, she would find the infamous _Magistrix Erona_.


End file.
